Jazzfest - The Big Daddy of Southern Music Festivals

The big daddy of Southern music festivals kicks off its two-week run this weekend. I'm talking, of course, about the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival,  You can get the skinny on all things Jazzfest (April 26-May 5), including links to live feeds, here at NOLA.com. And don't forget you can stream from WWOZ, one of the best radio stations on the planet.

A regular general admission Jazzfest ticket costs $59 a day, and there are more expensive and elaborate options as well. No camping -- you have to find accommodations (or a friend's couch.)

Check out the lineup to pick your days, and remember that an insane amount of music happens after-hours in the bars.

And if you're not going to Jazzfest, starting this Wednesday, April 24-28, the absolutely amazing, free Festival International de Louisiane happens in Lafayette, Louisiana. This downtown fest has an incomparable world-beat, funk,  jazz, and dance lineup and killer Louisiana food.  Go to the festival website to find someplace to stay -- no camping at this one. 

Also this coming weekend, don't forget Merlfest in North Carolina.

Whew! Get out there and find some live music, y'all!

Merlefest This Weekend!

The late, great  Doc Watson

Roots and Americana fans will be converging on the campus of  Wilkes Community College in Wilkesboro, North Carolina for Merlefest this coming weekend (April 25-28.)

This fest is in its 26th year, and this will be the first without eight-time Grammy winner Doc Watson, who died in March 2012. Doc founded the festival to honor the memory of Merle Watson, his late son and picking partner who died in a tractor accident in 1985.

This year's lineup includes The Avett Brothers, Sam Bush, Gov’t Mule, John Cowan, Peter Rowan, Del McCoury and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Donna The Buffalo, Leon Russell, Jerry Douglas, Delta Rae, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Charlie Daniels Band, Michael Martin Murphy, Leon Russell, Steep Canyon Rangers, Rhonda Vincent and the Rage, The Waybacks and more.

This is not an on-site camping fest, other than a lot for RVs (with no electricity hookups.) There are private campgrounds, cabins, motels, and homes for rent in the area. Shows are held in various venues throughout the campus. It's a very family-friendly crowd -- you can't bring alcohol into the venue.

Tickets: Four-day general admission, $150; Thursday, $40; Friday, $55; Saturday, $60; Sunday, $45.

In the early evening on Saturday, Sam Bush will lead an all-star lineup of 15 or so musicians who knew Doc and Merle best in a tribute that will include film clips and interviews with Doc. The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band headlines on Saturday. 

WMVY Radio in Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts (now an online-only station) has a great archive where you can stream past Merlefest performances.  

Gone Festing!

festgrrl is rocking the Wanee Festival this week, catch her posts on Facebook (as long as the Internet connection lasts over there in the middle of nowhere)  just click over there on the Facebook icon right!

Funkin Wanee - Galactic and Dirty Dozen

A Galactic show will wear your boogie ass out. This New Orleans-based band comes at you with blasting horns, a slinky bass line, and driving drums that pull you out of your seat until they quit. At least that's how it always is for me.

Galactic hosts the Saturday night Wanee closeout after the Allman Brothers play their set on the main stage. The Galactic & Friends show -- during which all manner of sit-ins will happen -- starts at midnight on the Mushroom stage. Check this out:

New Orleans stalwarts, the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, know how to throw a dance party. They play 1:30-2:30 p.m Saturday on The Mushroom Stage.

Funkin Wanee Part 3 -- Tower of Power, Les Claypool

Tower of Power back in the day

Tower of Power is the band who asked -- and answered --- the question "What Is Hip?" in 1973, and 40 years later, they are still answering it.

When you're talking power horns, you've got to talk Tower of Power. This California band was formed back in 1970, and at least 60 different musicians have  played with the band over the last four decades.

You can catch Tower of Power at Wanee from 5:15-6:30 Saturday at the Mushroom Stage.

Now onto killer bassist Les Claypool -- a longtime hard rock musician, but I'm going to put him on our funk roster here 'cause we all know he can slap the hell outta that bass -- just check him out in the second video posted below.

Claypool plays with his Duo De Twang Band 3-4:30 pm Friday at Wanee on the Mushroom Stage, right after the excellent Jaimoe's Jasssz Band.

Funkin Wanee Part 2 - Blow Maceo!

Listen to James Brown recordings, and you are bound to hear Brown shout, in the midst of musical frenzy,   "Blow, Maceo!" The late Godfather of Soul was talking to Maceo Parker, his killer sax player, and one of the funkiest fellows on the planet. Maceo has occupied the funk pocket for over four decades, playing with --among others -- George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic and Prince. 

Maceo Parker plays Wanee 3-4:45 pm Saturday on the Mushroom Stage, and I'm going to venture a guess he'll be sitting in with a lot of acts over the weekend. Here's a nice clip of this soul man:

Funkin Wanee

Rock and roll heavyweights The Allman Brothers and Widespread Panic are obviously the big draw at the Wanee Festival, happening this week at Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park in Live Oak, Fl.

But this year, as in past years, Wanee is also a garden of delights for funk fans.

Over the next few days, I offer you a Funkateer's Guide to the Wanee Festival.

The first advice for funk fans is to get to Wanee early --- Wednesday night's Wanee pre-party is a funky throwdown with one of the top contemporary funk bands working today, New Orleans' Ivan Neville's Dumpstaphunk.

Today, we feature two great California bands -- Monophonics, a super fine psychedelic soul and funk band out of San Francisco, and The Greyboy Allstars, an acid jazz-boogaloo band from San Diego.

Monophonics plays 2-3 p.m. Thursday on the Mushroom Stage, and The Greyboy Allstars play Thursday late-night from 11 :30-1:30 on the Mushroom Stage.

Here's a taste of their tastiness and check out the awesome puppets in the second video!: